Chris Myers
Lake Sonoma 50 Mile
California3rd, MPROChris' headline numbers
Chris' strategy
Fueling
T - 1-4hrs: Ate a carb rich meal (Low in fat & fibre)
T - 15mins: Took in a final dose of carb
"I felt amazing for the first half of the race and was in the lead with a 5 minute gap, but I cramped pretty aggressively on all the climbs after that. My energy levels and stomach comfort were great though, and without the cramps I wouldn’t have lost so much time and could probably have won by a good 20 minutes."
Chris’ fueling plan during the Lake Sonoma 50 miler was impressive not only because of his high carb intake (~780g total), but also for how well his body handled this. An absence of GI issues at an intake beyond the traditional ceiling of 90g/h, points toward a highly trained gut. While traditional endurance fueling guidelines might not always support this level of carb intake, recent research is shedding light on just how individualised carb strategies can become. Subsequently, Chris’ dialed-in strategy and execution of it demonstrates how well he has refined this intake over several races. It’s clear that this approach works well for him and is an example of the positive correlation between high carb intakes and improved performance.
Hydration
Taking on board an appropriate amount of fluid and sodium is essential to maintaining blood volume and supporting the cardiovascular effort needed to perform on race day.
Whilst the absolute amount of sodium and fluid consumed per hour is important, it’s critical to consider these in relation to each other. This is known as 'relative sodium concentration' and it’s expressed in milligrams per litre (mg/L). How much sodium you’re taking in per litre of fluid is more important than the absolute amount taken in per hour.
Chris839mg/L
Chris has been Sweat Tested to dial in his hydration plan
Sweat sodium concentration (mg/L) is largely genetically determined and remains relatively stable. Knowing how salty your sweat is enables you to replace a good proportion of your sweat losses, which can range from 200-2,000mg/L.
Whilst Chris's losses are on the moderate side, getting his hydration strategy right is still important if he wants to perform at his best.
Learn moreT - 60mins: Drank ~500ml of strong electrolyte drink
"The race didn’t feel too hot and from ~18 miles in, I began cooling with water and ice at the aid stations. I peed a couple of times and didn’t feel dehydrated but cramped badly for at least 17 miles which made my legs feel pretty stiff. I did push on a lot of the downhills so I'm unsure if this was a hydration issue or something else."
Although Chris nailed the fueling part of his strategy, the hydration elements, fluid and sodium, weren’t as seamless. Despite consuming a relative sodium concentration of ~1071mg/L (a bit higher than his sweat sodium concentration), the timing of this intake may have undermined the overall balance. When the muscle cramps set in ~three and a half hours into the race, the panicked use of five Electrolyte Capsules likely came too late to blunt the issues with neuromuscular functioning during climbing. If sodium isn’t present when nerve impulses are firing at high intensity (e.g. steep climbs), the neuromuscular system becomes vulnerable. On reflection, Chris is considering switching to Electrolyte Capsules from the start to be less reliant on his intake of fluid for sodium; it could offer a more consistent delivery and bypass the variability of thirst. He’ll still aim to drink *enough* to offset fluid losses, but will be able to ensure a more consistent sodium intake to stay ahead of any cramping issues. Electrolyte timing should be personalised just like the rest of an athlete’s strategy, as it will be influenced by muscular workload, terrain and an individual's sweat sodium concentration and sweat rate. With a sweat rate <2L/h, it’s likely that the rate of delivery of electrolytes early on in the race wasn’t sufficient to mitigate against cramping at this intensity of racing.
How Chris hit his numbers
Here's everything that Chris ate and drank on the day...
Final thoughts
“This was an interesting race. I felt amazing energy-wise, but the cramps really hindered my performance. Once they went away, I managed to make up some time, but only enough to hold onto third. ”
“Chris nailed his fueling plan, likely matching the needs of his body at that intensity. But, his sodium strategy struggled with the demands of the course. The cramps he experienced were likely a result of a mismatch between intake and need. Moving forward, separating electrolytes from fluid could help prevent this and instead enable a more proactive and frontloading approach, particularly at the Western States Endurance Run later this year.”
PF&HChris' full stats
Data Confidence
We rate each of our case studies from 1-5 based on the level of accuracy, and our confidence in the data.
There is good confidence in the accuracy of the data reported. An athlete feels that the numbers closely reflect what they consumed despite a couple of estimations which may carry some degree of error. The majority of what was consumed is recorded to a high level of specificity (most volumes are known through the use of bottles brands quantities flavours). The numbers are very plausible and align with previous data recordings (if an athlete has collected data previously).